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The Good Governance Quandary: The Elusive Search for Role Models

  • Michael Trebilcock EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: October 27, 2021

Abstract

A substantial consensus has emerged in development circles that the reason why some countries are rich and others poor is largely a reflection of the quality of their institutions – political, bureaucratic, and legal – and that countries with seriously dysfunctional institutions cannot expect to pursue a successful long-term trajectory of economic and social development. Many studies support this consensus, but institutional reform efforts for developed countries have resulted in mixed to weak results; many of these efforts have failed, for example, to establish a robust rule of law to protect the rights of citizens, publicly accountable political regimes, a meritocratic, noncorrupt, and efficient bureaucracy, and an independent media. Reportedly up to 60% of donor-assisted reforms have yielded no measurable increase in government effectiveness. It is inferred from this disappointing result that institutional transplants are often ineffective, and the path dependence, caused by accretions of the particularities of given countries’ histories, cultures, politics, ethnic and religious make-up, and geography leaves each country, for the most part, “to write its own history”.


Corresponding author: Michael Trebilcock, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, E-mail:

Appendix

UNDP Human Development Index (2019)

Top 10

Norway

Ireland

Switzerland

Hong Kong, China (SAR)

Iceland

Germany

Sweden

Australia

Netherlands

Denmark
UNDP Human Development Index (2019)

Bottom 10

Niger

Central African Republic

Chad

Burundi

South Sudan

Mali

Burkina Faso

Sierra Leone

Mozambique

Eritrea
UN Happiness Index (2017–2019)

Top 10

Finland

Denmark

Switzerland

Iceland

Norway

Netherlands

Sweden

New Zealand

Austria

Luxembourg
UN Happiness Index (2017–2019)

Bottom 10

Afghanistan

South Sudan

Zimbabwe

Rwanda

Central African Republic

Tanzania

Botswana

Yemen

Malawi

India
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Government Effectiveness (2019)

Top 10

Singapore

Switzerland

Denmark

Finland

Andorra

Norway

Sweden

Netherlands

Hong Kong

Luxembourg
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Government Effectiveness (2019)

Bottom 10

South Sudan

Yemen, Rep.

Somalia

Haiti

Libya

Eritrea

Central African Republic

Syrian Arab Republic

Comoros

Venezuela
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Voice Accountability (2019)

Top 10

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Denmark

New Zealand

Netherlands

Switzerland

Luxembourg

Canada

Belgium
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Voice Accountability (2019)

Bottom 10

Korea Dem. Rep.

Eritrea

Turkmenistan

Syrian Arab Republic

South Sudan

Equatorial Guinea

Somalia

Tajikistan

Lao PDR

Yemen, Rep.
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Political Stability and Absence of Violence (2019)

Top 10

Greenland

Iceland

Liechtenstein

Andorra

Monaco

Singapore

New Zealand

Cayman Island

Anguilla

Luxembourg
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Political Stability and Absence of Violence (2019)

Bottom 10

Yemen, Rep.

Syrian Arab Republic

Afghanistan

Libya

Iraq

South Sudan

Somalia

Pakistan

Central African Republic

Mali
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Regulatory Quality (2019)

Top 10

Singapore

Hong Kong

New Zealand

Australia

Netherlands

Finland

Norway

Sweden

Germany

Canada
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Regulatory Quality (2019)

Bottom 10

Korea Dem. Rep.

Venezuela

Libya

Eritrea

Somalia

South Sudan

Turkmenistan

Syrian Arab Republic

Sudan

Yemen, Rep.
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Rule of Law (2019)

Top 10

Finland

Norway

Switzerland

Sweden

Denmark

New Zealand

Austria

Singapore

Netherlands

Luxembourg
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Rule of Law (2019)

Bottom 10

Somalia

Venezuela

Syrian Arab Republic

South Sudan

Libya

Congo, Dem. Rep.

Yemen, Rep.

Central African Republic

Iraq

Afghanistan
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Control of Corruption (2019)

Top 10

New Zealand

Singapore

Finland

Sweden

Luxembourg

Denmark

Norway

Netherlands

Switzerland

Liechtenstein
Worldwide Governance Indicators:

Control of Corruption (2019)

Bottom 10

South Sudan

Equatorial Guinea

Somalia

Syrian Arab Republic

Yemen, Rep.

Libya

Korea, Dem. Rep.

Congo, Dem. Rep.

Turkmenistan

Venezuela

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Published Online: 2021-10-27
Published in Print: 2022-02-23

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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